Downtown’s legendary Clifton’s is back… again. The “Pacific Seas” portion of the storied venue, which started life as a cafeteria nearly 100 years ago , was open this weekend with tropical cocktails and complimentary hors d’oeuvres. Reservations are currently open for Fridays and Saturdays only. The rest of the five-story venue, which owner Andrew Meieran spent years rebuilding and reimagining, is scheduled to open by October 1.
Photo by Chris Nichols
Meieran purchased the building from the family of founder Clifford Clinton in 2011 and transformed it from a fantastical forest-themed cafeteria founded during the Great Depression into a labyrinth of lavishly decorated drinking parlors.
The fourth-floor tiki bar is the first room to come back online after a plumbing disaster caused the ceilings on three floors to collapse and destroyed a kitchen. The venue has been open sporadically and for special events since closing in 2018 and again in 2020 during COVID. Meieran sold the building in 2022 and now reportedly operates under a long-term lease.